Abouttagand the publication "Candidacy for the presidency of the FFC: Michel Callot, between continuity and transformation"
Two and a half months after our meeting with Teodoro Bartuccio, we went to meet the other candidate for the presidency of the French Cycling Federation, and not the least, since it is the outgoing president. This week, Michel Callot, welcomed 3bikes with exemplary courtesy, reflecting a man of values. Opening the doors of his office with generosity, he hastagand with us his enlightened vision and his intact passion for cycling.
By Jeff Tatard – Photos: ©FFC/DR
Since 2017, Michel Callot has led the FFC with determination, taking a clear-eyed look at a sport in constant evolution.. As he aspires to a new mandate, his record and his projects highlight a leader attached to the traditions of cycling, while remaining resolutely turned towards the future and the challenges of a changing world. Portrait of a leader between heirstagand ambition.
A Captain Facing the Storm
Having arrived as president in 2017, Michel Callot found himself steering the FFC through turbulent waters. Between the COVID-19 health crisis, the transition from the CNDS to the ANS, and the new sports laws of 2019 and 2022, his mandate has not been without its share of upheavals. However, he has managed to draw up a balance sheet that he describes as solid: a financially stable, structured federation, and resolutely turned towards the future.
Callot did not simply stay the course: he reinvented the FFC. The diversification of disciplines – with the integration of the e-cycling, gravel or the pump track – is an illustration of this. At the same time, he redefined federal action by integrating societal issues, such as mobility and health, while supporting sustainable development of clubs and committees.
« We have modernized our tools, strengthened our economic model and promoted feminization in all our disciplines", he emphasizes. With the Paris 2024 Olympics crowned with nine French medals, Callot can also be proud of a French cycling team that shines on the international scene..
The challenges of the base
However, not everything was easy. The decline in the number of licensees remains a shadow on the picture. Aware of this problem, Callot is committed to revaluing the role of clubs, pillars of French cycling. His response is pragmatic: adapt to modern practices while consolidating infrastructures, such as BMX tracks, which are still struggling to cover the territory.
Its objective is clear: to move clubs towards a more inclusive model, which goes beyond competition alone. We must support clubs towards broader associative projects, capable of accommodating moretagand licensees while offering a more diversified range of activities”, he explains. In short, Callot does not just want to stabilize the workforce; he wants to reinvent the attractiveness of cycling.
An ambition without borders
For Michel Callot, cycling is not limited to sporting practice. It is a social lever, an environmental vector and a school of life. Through programs such as They are coming, which promotes women's cycling, or initiatives for young people via the SRAV (Savoir Rouler À Vélo), it strives to build a more inclusive and forward-looking federation.
The development of women's cycling is one of its top priorities.. Convinced of its potential, he wants to strengthen the bridges between clubs and initiatives such as the Ambassadresses. The program They are coming, in partnership with the Tour de France Féminin, embodies this desire to increase opportunities for female practitioners and leaders.
A modernized vision
Michel Callot continues to insist on the necessary modernization of the FFC. This involves digital technology, in particular the digitalisation of licences and the development of new tools to reduce the administrative burden on clubs. But it is also in media infrastructures that he places great hopes: " The rise of a federal Web TV is essential to increase the visibility of cycling and give clubs the means to do so.tagand their events"
En parallèle, Michel Callot is enthusiastic about virtual cycling. For him, the e-cycling is both a sporting and fun opportunity that can appeal to new audiences. With the creation of a national circuit, it strives to offer a place to this emerging discipline, while providing clubs with the tools to take hold of it.
A leadership philosophy
Far from the speeches of rupture carried by his opponents, notably Teodoro Bartuccio, Michel Callot defends a realistic and pragmatic vision. For him, " Managing the common federal good requires time, consistency and solid experience". An approach that he claims in the face of the complex challenges of a federation which must reconcile sporting performance, societal transformation and financial balance.
Callot also advocates participatory and transparent governance. He wants strengthen links between clubs and the FFC, in particular by appointing an elected official responsible for relations with the territories. Similarly, he wants to encourage exchanges between clubs so that the successes of some inspire others.
Cycling as a social project
Beyond sporting performances, Michel Callot sees cycling as a response to the major challenges of our time: sustainable mobility, public health, inclusion. For him, every bike that rides is an ambassador for the sport of cycling. The more French people cycle on a daily basis, the more our sport will shine" he says with conviction.
With this in mind, he advocates for a Federation anchored in society, capable of embracing varied projects, ranging from education to soft mobility, while remaining competitive on the international scene.
A message of unity
On the eve of this new election, Michel Callot sends a message of enthusiasm to volunteers, licensees and cycling enthusiasts. He calls on them to continue working together to adapt to changes in society while preserving the values of cycling.
For him, this sport, with its diversity of disciplines and its exceptional athletes, is an inexhaustible source of joy and self-improvement. By relying on the vitality of the clubs and the richness of the associative fabric, Callot wants building a French cycling that combines tradition and modernity, competitiveness and inclusionWith a rich record and a clear vision for the future, Michel Callot positions himself as the architect of a French cycling resolutely turned towards the future.
As this electoral deadline approaches, the entire team of 3bikes We wish good luck to both candidates in the running and hope for a respectful and constructive campaign. It seems essential to us to get to know and make these men better known, each of whom has a unique vision for the future of French cycling, leaving it up to each person to form their own opinion.
Abouttagand the publication "Candidacy for the presidency of the FFC: Michel Callot, between continuity and transformation"
It's all well and good to announce projects. But basically, what has he done since 2017? The FFC has never been in such bad shape. Fall in the number of events, fall in the number of riders, increasingly expensive licenses, increasingly difficult to organize. Amateur cycling is in very, very bad shape. And Mr. President is presenting himself by defending his record. Dramatic...
Relevant !!
Amateur cycling needs a complete overhaul. Because it's a disaster. In my club, we've lost a third of our members, especially young people, over the last 5 years.
Move Mr. President!!😡
Callot, a great follower of the Coué method!!